Travelling Companions
by Hoshiko11
Summary: Kagome has come back through the well from her own time after three years. Everyone can finally settle down and be with the ones they love. And Kagome and Inuyasha love each other... Or do they? Why does Kagome decide to travel with a different group than usual, and what will she do once she is with them? M for slight adult content now, and more in later chapters. Possible lemons?
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters from it.

I hope you enjoy the story!

Kagome sighed. She had only returned here, to the past, one month ago, and she was already very annoyed. She loved being around Sango and Miroku, and their children. However, the kids were very young and energetic, and took up most of the loving couple's time. Shippou had been ecstatic to see her return, jumping onto Inuyasha's head as he lifted her from the well and yelling "Kagome! You're back!" However, he had promised the sword master who was training him to be back quickly, and had to return after spending a few days with Kagome. She spent some time learning about medicine and healing from Kaede, but now the old woman had Rin to teach as well, and Rin helped out with chores.

Of course, Kagome had returned here to be with Inuyasha. She spent most of her days with him. But, as time passed, she felt more and more like she was forcing herself to be around him. She had known he was easily riled up and like to fight, but she had expected to see a bit less of this side of him with Naraku gone. Instead, it got worse. Without one thing to focus on, he was always looking for someone to fight with; some way to become stronger still. He had already dragged Kagome along with him when he had heard of a demon who, when slain, might make Tetsaiga stronger. However, it had turned out to be only a rumor among kids in the area, and he had become very angry, even hitting the boy who told him it was just a story to scare the younger kids.

Even worse than Inuyasha's restlessness was his sudden, extreme possessiveness over her. It had started almost immediately after she returned from her own time. He wanted her to tell him where she would be any time she wasn't wit him. Not long ago, he had started snarling when she went to visit Miroku, or any of the other young men from the village. Soon after, he had even started trying to prevent her from visiting any men or women her age, allowing Sango and Miroku only because of his own history with them. He answered questions for her, and wanted her to accompany him on any small trip outside the village he took.

Kagome had tried to explain to Inuyasha that she was from a time when women were more independent, and she was not his possession. He had frowned and said "I'm just keeping you safe, you never know when the next danger might come!" And it was then that she began to feel like one of his "projects", something to keep him busy now that they were no longer hunting Naraku. She wondered if this exaggerated possessiveness was something normal in this time period, but she saw no similar examples in the town, and when she asked Sango about it, the demon slayer had frowned and told her to set Inuyasha straight. Today she was going to have to have another talk with him.

Kagome sighed and took Rin's broom and her own to the shed they had come from. For the past couple days, she had tried to spend slightly less time with Inuyasha to see if it would make things better, and had been helping Rin with chores and hearing her stories of traveling with Sesshoumaru. She sighed again as she heard the sound of Inuyasha running towards her, his feet stomping against the ground.

"Kagome!" She heard him yell, "Where have you been all day? Hurry up and come with me!"

"What is it _now_, Inuyasha?" She could hear the exasperation in her own voice.

"We're going to see Toutousai, to see if he has any tips left on how to get my sword stronger!" He exclaimed as if it were obvious, oblivious to the tone of her voice and the grimace on her face as he spoke.

"Inuyasha, Tetsaiga is plenty strong as it is!" She said, her voice slightly raised. He still didn't recognize the signs of her anger.

"Of course it's strong, but I'm sure it could still be stronger! Besides what are we going to do if we don't train more, and keep finding things to do?" He questioned, still not really noticing Kagome's deepening frown.

"Oh, I don't know, Inuyasha," she snapped, "not settle down and be happy that we have this peaceful time now that Naraku is gone, of _course_. Not spend time with our friends or their new children, or visit Shippou. That would be silly. And of _course_, we shouldn't even bother to think about maybe finding someplace to live together that isn't inside Kaede's hut, or think about starting our own family together!" She was yelling by the time she finished speaking, and panting slightly. Inuyasha looked taken aback.

This was a point that angered Kagome. Maybe she wouldn't even mind quite so much about how possessive he was, if Inuyasha would show some kind of hint that he wanted to commit to her at all. They had shared a few chaste kisses since her return, and Kagome had made her feelings for him known, he had not said anything or tried to push anything further.

"Alright," he said, "I'll be right back, wait here." He ran off and Kagome stood, still seething. Eventually she calmed down, feeling ashamed of how angry she was getting. She was supposed to be someone with holy powers, of all things! She wondered if all this anger would affect her powers, but then realized she'd probably been this angry before without anything happening.

By the time Kagome was fully calm again, Inuyasha returned and took her hand, leading her somewhere. They arrived at a house that had previously been missing a wall since Naraku's attack. Inuyasha had clearly used his strength as a hanyou to do what the previous owners could not: get the wall back up. She briefly wondered why he had not helped them before, and then looked at him.

"We can live here!" Inuyasha said, clearly proud of his work. Kagome forced a small smile onto her face, knowing he had done this for her sake, and trying not to think of the poor family who had had to build a new home entirely from scratch while she had been in her own time. He led her inside, and sat on a dusty, but perfectly intact chair. He pulled her down to sit on his lap and kissed her. This kiss was not so innocent as previous kisses the two had shared. Inuyasha's hands caressed her back, slowly getting lower. He kissed her with a need she could feel strongly, and slid his tongue back and forth in her mouth. Where his hands brushed lightly, fire seemed to follow, but she found it hard to let go and simply let her body take over while his tongue was stretched in as far as it could reach, almost uncomfortably so. His hands began to tighten slightly on her waist, his claws close to piercing her skin, but not quite doing so.

"Ow! What's gotten into you, Inuyasha?" She pulled her head back slightly and asked. He grunted slightly, panting and flushed, and Kagome could feel something under her leg that probably meant he wasn't pleased with her interrupting where they had been going.

"All demons go through some periods of…" he paused, clearly unsure of how to put it, "extreme need in their lives. Inu demons are especially affected by this."

"Why haven't you gotten like this before, then?" she asked him, curious.

"I have," he answered, his rushed speaking showing how much he wanted to return what they had been doing previously, "but I've generally just avoided females during those times, and hunted or something. They only happen for a couple of days every few years when a demon reaches maturity. Demons with more power and control can better control their urges, though. Being a hanyou, if I become human during this time, it doesn't really affect me at all." That made sense, but still… She had never really thought of Inuyasha as someone who had a lot of control.

Before she could ask him if he had _really_ never lost control with someone before, his mouth was crushed back against hers, and his hands were exploring again. He ripped off her obi so that her kimono fell loose. She sighed mentally. She had to pick today of all days to wear the nice kimono that Kaede had given her not even three weeks ago. The obi was probably beyond repair. Inuyasha's hands slid inside her kimono. While some places he touched did leave little trails of fire, others were just scratched.

Kagome might not feel especially aroused, but Inuyasha clearly did. She wondered if he would make it to the next step, or if their kissing would… um, _satisfy_ him. Then she blushed and shoved that thought aside. Inuyasha moaned slightly, the sound almost like a growl coming from him. She ran her fingers through his hair and one of them brushed the tip of his right ear. He groaned louder and squirmed beneath her, readjusting her legs until she straddled him. She could feel a lump against her butt cheek now, making what they were doing seem much more real.

Kagome was torn between a sudden panic about what was happening and a desire for it to happen. Still torn, she lightly brushed both of his ears with her hands while his hands slid deeper into her kimono, slowly going down. He moaned again and that firm something pressed tighter into Kagome's backside as he pressed his body against her where he could, using his hands around her waist to rub her against him. His eyes snapped open suddenly, the lids heavy with lust, and he pushed her to the ground. He appeared to have lost all control. Kagome was just deciding to give in to him, to get it over with, when he moaned something that sounded more like words. He repeated it, and this time she heard.

"Oh, Kikyou! Ohh," Inuyasha had moaned. Kagome felt as if she had turned to stone. She turned her face from his quickly and pushed at him until she could get up. She looked away from him, her eyes filling with tears. The _dog_ sat on the floor, awareness flooding back. He was very disheveled, and she imagined that she looked worse, but still Kagome turned for the door.

"Wait, Kagome!" he yelled, jumping up. She didn't look at him, and kept walking. He jumped in front of her, "I didn't mean to say that! During these times, I just… lose myself to fantasy a little bit, that's all."

"And when you fantasize, of course it's about her. I should have expected this really. I just… I can't…" She could no longer form words; her tears were getting worse and she heard them in her voice as she spoke.

"No! Well, yes, I do fantasize about her, but," Inuyasha had a familiar look on his face. It was the expression he had come back with after every meeting with Kikyou. He swallowed and continued on, "it's only because... you know, she was my first love and all. I guess I just never got a chance to do anything like this with her, or to really start our romance, and that still bothers me."

Kagome had often felt like a replacement for Kikyou; it was hard not to, being her reincarnation. This was probably the most she had ever felt like a replacement since meeting Inuyasha, though. She tried to stop her tears, but sobbed, "you'll never fully get over her, will you?" Inuyasha didn't answer, but his eyes very clearly had the answer in them as she looked into them. Kagome pushed the door open, holding her kimono together. Inuyasha didn't follow her.

Kagome arrived back at Kaede's hut still trying to calm herself down. Yes, she had been feeling less for him lately, but Inuyasha had been the only person in her thoughts for years now, and she did still love him. She corrected herself: _had_ loved him. She had to stop loving him now, since he would probably never feel the same passion for her. He might love her, but not more than the image of Kikyou he still kept in his heart. She told herself that as of now, she no longer loved him. She was lying, of course, but she did feel a little better. She opened the door to the hut.

"Kagome-sama, are you alright?" Rin asked as soon as she saw Kagome's face. Kagome tried to smile, but the smile faltered and she finally gave up.

"No," she admitted, "I'm a little upset." Rin ran to her and gave her a hug. Kagome hugged her back, grateful for the sweet little girl's kindness. She looked up to see Sesshoumaru staring at her. She tried not to look so ragged, blushing at her appearance.

"Last time this Sesshoumaru was here, you seemed in good spirits, miko," he commented. "I believe you called me 'Onii-san, or something to the like." He frowned at her. She would have smiled under different circumstances, remembering the look he had given her when she had called him that.

"Well," she looked at him angrily, "don't worry about being called that ever again, because that's actually not happening!" She stomped past him to look for something else to put on.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, can Kagome-sama please come with us?" Rin begged quietly, tugging at his sleeve. Kagome looked back, surprised.

"Rin, you're going somewhere?" she asked. She had gotten rather fond of the young girl being around, and had been hoping to hear more of her tales to cheer her up in the following days.

"Sesshoumaru said I could come live with him for just a little bit, because I've been missing him lots!" The girl practically shouted in her excitement. Jaken jumped out from behind his master.

"Don't you go inviting whoever you want to come along, Rin!" He scolded her, "Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't need another filthy _human _tagging along behind him, being a nuisance!" He pointed his wooden staff at Kagome as he said this, and Kagome had to resist the urge to stick her tongue out at him. She was sure it didn't matter whether or not Rin asked anyway. Sesshoumaru would never want her to —

Sesshoumaru spoke up then, cutting off her thoughts, "she can come if she wishes." He was looking at Kagome. His eyes seemed to pierce deep into hers and she shuddered. She was shocked. She sputtered a little, not knowing how to reply.

"Oh, please come, Kagome-sama!" Rin urged her, grabbing hold of her hand, "Rin likes being with Kagome-sama!" The young girl smiled up at her and Kagome's wounded heart felt slightly better. Maybe she _could_ go with them. It would be a nice break from Inuyasha, anyways, and she was sure she'd be back by the time Miroku and Sango could really entertain guests anyways. Shippou could always come visit her when he was on breaks from training wherever she was. She looked at Kaede.

"It might do ye good," the old woman smiled at her, "to be away from here for a little while. And Rin might like the female company in her travels." Rin nodded eagerly.

"Um… Yeah, what the heck, I'll go!" She finally burst out. She looked at Sesshoumaru, who had looked slightly confused by the words she used. She knew he wouldn't ask for the meaning of her phrase, and she smiled a little. Her first genuine smile in a while. Sesshoumaru stood and walked towards the door.

"We will leave shortly," he said, not looking at her. Kagome scrambled up to get some things together, wondering what she had just gotten herself into.


	2. Chapter 2

Still don't own Inuyasha or its characters.

Please enjoy!

Sesshoumaru stood outside, not far from the hut where Rin and Kagome hastily packed, trying not to keep him waiting. He frowned slightly more than usually, wondering what had possessed him to invite his brother's woman to come with them. He could guess what had happened. He turned his head to where his brother's scent was coming from. Inuyasha was clearly going through an extended period of arousal. He did not click his tongue, as Sesshoumaru-sama was much too refined for something like that, but had he been a human (or his brother) he would have.

What Inuyasha had passed off as something normal for demons to Kagome was not something Sesshoumaru had to deal with. That he was a demon may be obvious, but when Sesshoumaru stood in his human form, there were no signs that he was an _inu_ demon. Anyone looking at Inuyasha could see his ears and understand his species, and that he was a hanyou. Therefore, Inuyasha was unable to hide this time of arousal he was going through, like a dog in heat. Sesshoumaru showed no signs of going through the same thing as he stood in his human form, nor had he ever. It was ironic; Sesshoumaru had more demon blood in him, but he could appear more human than his hanyou brother.

Inuyasha was still thinking about how inferior his poor brother was when he sensed Rin and the other humans close to the door of the hut. He heard them exit, and turned to be sure they were prepared to go.

"We're all ready, Sesshoumaru-sama!" his young charge beamed at him. Kagome was the last to exit the tent. When she did, his eyes lingered on her for a few moments. He could not remember what she had worn when she had traveled with his brother years ago, nor did he care to. If he had remembered, though, he would have realized that how she was dressed now was similar. She no longer had her school uniform here, but the skirt and top she now sported were from her own time period.

A small voice in the back of Sesshoumaru's head wondered where on earth garments like hers came from, but he did not ask her. Instead, he spun around, his hair swishing slightly, and started walking. Rin ran after him and Kagome followed more slowly behind, seeming cautious. He turned his head slightly to look at her from the corner of his eye, and then jerked his head forward again. On Sesshoumaru, even a jerky movement like this looked more graceful than human movements

"I will not adjust my pace for your sake," he said flatly to the miko trailing slightly behind. He was glad she would be on A-Un, if she always moved this slowly. She huffed a little and sped up to match their speed. When they reached A-Un, Sesshoumaru lifted Rin up and looked at Kagome. He wondered if she could get up herself. She might be larger than Rin, but that did not mean she was very large. He had heard Rin tell Kaede she thought Kagome had gotten thinner over this past month, but hadn't cared enough to remember her prior weight or notice her current. If she had lost weight, it was probably due to the stress his idiot brother caused her.

While he looked at her, she grabbed A-Un's back and hoisted herself up halfway, but then started to slip. Rin reached for her, but Sesshoumaru exhaled in what might have been called a "sigh" if someone less dignified than he had done it, and lifted her around the waist onto the beast.

"Kagome-sama, are you hurt? You made a hurt face when Sesshoumaru-sama touched your side there!" Rin exclaimed.

"Oh, I'm OK, Rin, just a little scratched up," Sesshoumaru noticed a frown forming on the brunette's face. Rather than the sad face he had seen on her before, she now looked angry. Kagome caught Sesshoumaru looking at her and looked away. He turned his head and started running off. A-Un followed close behind. He meant to get home as quickly as possible, where he wouldn't have to be so close to this miko. The purifying felling of being around her was uncomfortable. A-Un flew up beside Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, where did Jaken go?" Kagome asked him, after looking around and noticing the toad-like demon had not been with them since leaving the hut. He looked at her, slightly surprised. He was quiet around Rin so as to not frighten her with things he might say. He was quiet around others to make them aware of his superiority to them. A girl approaching him to speak like this one was not something he was used to. "Or don't answer, I guess," she muttered, and looked away from him.

"He went ahead to my lands, overseeing them until I arrive," Sesshoumaru suddenly replied. He could have kept quiet, he supposed, but this girl would be around him for a little while. There was no point in angering her and making her more annoying.

"Ahh, I see," said the girl in a tone similar to his. He expected she was trying to be aloof so as to seem more his equal, but she sounded pleased that he had answered her. He felt a small smirk tug at his lips; this girl was fairly interesting. "And where are your lands?" Interesting, maybe, but a chatty girl.

"In the West," he stated simply. As a woman living in such a small village, he expected her probably too unlearned to know their location even if he went into more detail. She said nothing else, possibly put off by his curt answers. He did not mind. If she continued to speak to him, he knew that she would expect him to make conversation as well. Sesshoumaru was used to traveling in silence, and he was unsure of what to say to this human girl. His own thoughts surprised him here and he silently chided himself. He should not care what this girl thought about anything he did anyway. She was simply a human miko, and the only reason he didn't treat her as an enemy, or at least a nobody, was because of her aid in killing Naraku.

Caught up in his own thoughts, it took him a while to remember that humans had certain needs when traveling. Rin had accompanied him often enough that he knew they should stop for a bit of food and for Rin and the miko to take care of bodily needs. He stopped and landed in a clearing in the forest beneath them. A-Un followed.

"You will eat here, and take care of anything else you need to do," he instructed the girls, "I will return shortly with food."

"Oh, don't bother!" Kagome said suddenly, touching his arm to stop him from going. He looked down at her hand with a small scowl, and she drew it back quickly. He noticed quickly that her fingers were delicate and pretty, and her touch was not as unpleasant as he might once have thought, but banished the thought from his head. Even if her miko powers did not sting him from her touch, he did not want humans touching him unnecessarily. He had long ago decided to not even hold the hand of a human or carry them. He had only amended this self-imposed rule to include every human other than Rin when she had become his permanent companion.

"Will you hunt yourself, then, Miko?" he questioned. He knew she could shoot a bow, but had not expected her to be adept at finding prey.

"No, no, I still have food from home!" she said, pulling packs of dried ramen noodles from her bag. He looked at them, slightly curious. He had not seen food packaged so before. "See, look! Beef flavor, chicken, spicy, vegetable," she listed off, pulling more packages from her bag. The smell of salt was very prominent in the food she pulled out, and he realized the packs also contained noodles.

"You need nothing to prepare these?" he asked her, still wondering where this food had come from. He was surprised to see she seemed to be able to read the packages. Rin could read very little, even after he had brought in some tutors to teach her after Naraku's death. Some of the words on these packages were unfamiliar even to him. He wondered if she came from lands distant from here, where they spoke a very different dialect. That would explain her odd way of speaking, and why she seemed to have to think about what she was saying when using formal language.

"I just need some boiling water," she informed him, and pulled a small pot from her bag, "I've got this with me, so I'll run and get some water if you guys could build a fire!" Before he or Rin answered, she had run into the woods. Sesshoumaru sniffed the air subtly and sighed again. He did not think he had sighed so much in one day for quite a long time. She had gone off in the wrong direction to find water. Directing Rin to find some firewood, he quickly followed the young miko's scent into the forest.

He found her leaning against a tree, apparently having realized that she was lost. He took another step towards her before he realized he could smell tears on her. He stopped immediately. He did not even know how to calm Rin's tears well, and she had traveled with him for quite some time. He decided her anger would be something easier to deal with than tears, and called out to her.

"Miko, I have not the time to come chasing after you when you take off and get yourself lost," he scolded her. As he had expected, her head snapped up in surprise and her eyes flashed angrily at him.

"Well, I'm _sorry_ for trying to be helpful and not be in your way!" she yelled at him. Indeed, her anger was less unsettling than her tears. Until a tear slid down her cheek, followed by another. Ah, Sesshoumaru noted, she cried in anger as well. "I can't just sniff out water like a dog, unlike _some _people! Go on, rub it in my face that I'm an inferior _human_ and I'm stupid, and, and…" her words became more and more muffled with sobs as she spoke, "ugh, this is just the _worst_ day! I never expected to be traveling with you. I know you don't even want me here. I'm not that stupid. But I'm stuck here now without anywhere to go and the well shut on me when I came through!"

Sesshoumaru had no idea what well she was referring to or why its closing affected her so. When she had mentioned it, her sobs had intensified. He supposed her saying she was unable to go home meant that he had been right in thinking she was from far away; it was clear the village was not her true home. He tried to think of how to calm her tears. Though he did not know why, her tears made him uncomfortable.

Not sure what he was doing or why he was doing it, he reached out and patted her head. Sometimes this would calm Rin's tears, and this girl, though a miko, was still a human girl like his charge. Kagome looked up at Sesshoumaru through her tears. He could tell from the look on her face that she could not figure out why he was doing this, either.

"I know not what well you are talking about, but tears will help nothing. And if you wish to go home, simply go. He really didn't understand why he wanted this human woman to stop crying so badly, but when she smiled slightly and wiped her eyes, he suddenly felt more at ease.

"That's right," something appeared to be funny to her, but Sesshoumaru was not sure what, "you don't know anything about the Bone-Eater's well, or where I'm from." She seemed to find this funny.

"I have no interest in either subject," he told her coldly. He now thought he knew the well she spoke of though. There had been a well with an odd scent to it in the village before the final battle with Naraku. After the battle, it had disappeared. Sesshoumaru had simply never cared enough to wonder about it. He was curious in spite of himself, but would never lower himself to ask a _human_ questions about her life. She seemed to want to tell him anyway, however.

"If I'm going to travel with you, I might as well be honest with you," the girl sighed as she spoke. She didn't seem to want to talk about the subject, and he had even denied wanting to hear about it. That she still wanted him to know what she had to say was surprising to Sesshoumaru. This girl continued to not quite fit into his normal definition of "_human_".

"Where do I start," she continued, "um, I guess first off is the fact that the Bone-Eater's Well led to the future. Five hundred years into the future, to be exact. And, well… That's where I'm from. Wow, it sounds kinda unbelievable when I hear myself say it. I don't blame you if you think I'm crazy. But it's true, and when I came through the well three years after defeating Naraku, fully intending to be with Inuyasha, the well disappeared behind me." She looked up at Sesshoumaru, her expression clearly indicating that she thought he would not believe her.

Did he believe her? If it were any other human, he was sure they would be much too frightened to lie to such a powerful lord as he. This miko, though, he was never sure of. His senses told him that she was telling the truth. Though she was uncomfortable in telling it, she didn't smell of the nervous sweat most humans broke out in when they lied.

Against his better judgment, he wanted to help this human, this _Kagome_. Though she was a bothersome girl, he had not realized she faced such adversity. He argued with himself inside his head. Part of him wanted to take the girl in, like he had Rin when Rin had had no place to go. The other part of him thought this was much too soft of him; demons were going to start to think he was partial to humans. Seeing this weakness, they would flock to attack him. While he had no doubt he could easily defeat anyone who came to him, it would be a nuisance. He glanced at her and saw that she was looking at him with curiosity. He looked into her swollen eyes and spoke as if possessed to say it.

"Until you can return through this well you speak of, or find another way back, you may stay on my lands," he told her, and watched her eyes widen, surprised.

"But, Sesshoumaru-sama, I'm a human! And on top of that, a miko! I mean," she paused and he turned quickly. Clearly she did not want to take him up on the invitation. That was most likely for the better. He was unsure what had come over him. A slender hand grabbed the sleeve of his kimono before he walked off, brushing against his arm.

"I'm sorry," the miko looked embarrassed by her outburst, "what I meant to say was, wow… Thank you! If I didn't just change your mind, I would like to take you up on your offer. Just for a short while anyways." Sesshoumaru looked at her, and was about to take back his invitation when her eyes, still bright from tears, met his. He inclined his head and started walking toward the scent of fresh water.

Sessoumaru really didn't understand this miko, and he had no clue as to why he had just acted as he did. He touched his arm lightly, where the odd feeling of her fingers against his arm remained.

I hope you like the story so far!

Feedback would be great. It's so helpful to know what you all like and dislike, so I can make chapters where you like everything!

Next chapter will be up as soon as I can write it.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

Kagome stared at the broad back of the daiyoukai as he walked silently away from her, most likely to where he had scented water. She clasped her hands together and looked at them. When she had brushed Sesshoumaru's arm, she had gotten the strangest urge to keep her hand there, and run it down his arm. She had imagined, for a second, the muscles that would feel cool and bulging beneath her touch. She shook her head.

What was going on with her? Normally, she would never have accepted to go live in the arrogant demon's "lands", as he had put it. She had no idea what it was even like there; did he even have a house, or did he curl up in a cave or something? What had made him ask her in the first place? Kagome knew that Sesshoumaru hated humans, and from the way his frown had deepened upon asking her to stay, she though he regretted it. He probably had regretted it, Kagome couldn't help but think. But she had still said yes.

Sesshoumaru's back had disappeared behind the trees, and she ran to follow him, trying not to groan. She may feel stupid now, but she would feel more stupid if he had to find her again to get her out of the woods. She would think about this possibility of living with Sesshoumaru for an unknown amount of time later. She had expected to stay there for a few days with Rin, and that was what she would do for now.

Kagome almost ran into Sesshoumaru's back as he stopped abruptly, sniffing the air. Kagome noticed that something nearby felt _off_ — she couldn't put it any other way. She opened her mouth, to ask Sesshoumaru exactly what kind of youkai they were dealing with, but before she could speak, he had hoisted her off the ground with one arm wrapped around her waist and bounded over the trees towards the clearing.

Kagome gulped. Rin must be in trouble! She hoped the sweet little girl was all right. She also couldn't help but feel Sesshoumaru's arm against her bare skin where her shirt had rode up. She tried to ignore the feeling of it there, making her feel slightly uncomfortable. The more she could feel his skin against hers, the more naked she felt. She focused her energy instead on trying to locate the youkai with both her eyes and her spiritual powers as a miko.

All that Kagome could tell was that there was a very dark presence up ahead. It didn't take long for them to arrive in the clearing, though, and she saw a large dragon youkai taking swipes at A-Un, who was fighting him off with both heads. Rin was cowering against the ground behind her two-headed protector.

Sesshoumaru set Kagome down gently, but without notice. She staggered slightly. He glanced over at the dragon youkai, who was drawing large amounts of blood from A-Un, and started toward them.

"Do not move from where you stand, miko," he ordered Kagome, "he has a mate nearby, and I have not the time to save you as well." Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. It wasn't as if she was such a weakling! She saw her bow and arrows lying not far from her. Unfortunately, they weren't far from the youkai, either. She didn't exactly feel like getting on Sesshoumaru's bad side already, and stood quietly where she was.

Sesshoumaru didn't even draw his sword to attack the demon, instead attacking with his poisonous claws. He was probably trying to keep Rin as safe as possible, Kagome noted. He wouldn't want to hit her with a sword. This caused the battle to last longer, but gave Rin and A-Un time to back towards the forest, away from the dragon youkai.

Suddenly, Kagome felt another presence that wasn't quite right. Sesshoumaru must have smelled it, as well, because his head flicked up, and he looked a little surprised at not noticing it earlier. Before he could run to protect Rin from the second dragon youkai that was coming up behind her and A-Un, the youkai he was fighting cut a deep gash down his side and threw him out of the way.

Kagome, without thinking, ran to her bow and arrows and shot behind Rin at the youkai before it could reach the girl. The arrow caught the creature in the shoulder, and its arm dropped as it howled from the pain the purifying arrow had caused. Kagome ran closer to shoot another arrow, as something as small as a missing arm might not stop a powerful youkai like this.

The dragon youkai looked up at her, and skirted around Rin and A-Un to come running at her. The beast ran wildly, making it hard for Kagome to aim her arrows properly. She shot one that only grazed the side of the youkai, and another that missed entirely. The shallow cut on its side bled sluggishly, but didn't appear to be causing the youkai much pain. It was almost upon her when Kagome shot her third arrow. It hit the dragon youkai right between the eyes just as it raked Kagome with its large claws. The death of the beast stopped its claws from hitting her with their full force, but she still felt an immense pain in her right side.

Just as Kagome noted that Sesshoumaru had done away with the youkai he'd been fighting, and that Rin was running toward her, her vision became hazy. She turned slightly to see that Sesshoumaru was walking toward her, too. She knew her cut wasn't too deep, but also knew that the sharp, burning pain she felt in her side probably indicated a poison of some kind. She collapsed into Sesshoumaru's arms just as he reached her.

"Is Kagome-sama OK?" she heard Rin ask, her voice sounding as if it were coming through a thick fog in Kagome's head. She couldn't tell if Sesshoumaru answered or not.

Her last thought before she lost consciousness was that she hoped he wasn't mad at her for moving, due to the circumstances. And then she could form no more thoughts.

There, can't do an Inuyasha fic without at least one battle of some kind!

Sesshoumaru's not weak, I know! He was just being careful not to hurt Rin!

Let me know what you think so far, and if you have any complaints that might improve on what's coming. ^^


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